Opposition parties seek debate on Gaza situation in Rajya Sabha tomorrow

New Delhi: Opposition parties today demanded that discussion on the Gaza situation be taken up in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Leaders of various opposition parties, including Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, met Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to press for their demand that the short-duration discussion be taken up first after the Question Hour, sources said.

The matter was listed for Wednesday's business in the Rajya Sabha but the government refused to have any discussion on it, saying it could impact diplomatic ties with both Israel and Palestine.

Notices for the debate were given by several opposition members including Azad. Other members were Jairam Ramesh and Viplove Thakur ( Congress), K C Tyagi (JD-U), Narendra Kumar Kashyap (BSP), Mohd Adeeb (Independent), and P Rajeeve, T K Rangarajan and Ritabrata Banerjee of CPI(M).

The opposition leaders met the Deputy Chairman soon after the Upper House was adjourned for the day as the government and opposition locked horns over the issue disrupting proceedings.

The government and opposition locked horns over the issue of discussion and cited rules and precedents in the House, while arguing for and against on whether the business once listed can be altered.

The opposition pointed out that the issue had been listed as part of business for the day and should be taken up first.

Members kept citing rules to argue in favour and against the debate for almost two hours during which the House was adjourned a number of times. It was finally adjourned for the day at 3 PM.

Earlier resisting a debate, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she had come to know late about the listing of the issue in the day's business and had written to Chairman Hamid Ansari requesting him that it should be dropped.